I’ve loved shmups ever since I started going to arcades, and since I’ve been reviewing mobile games I’ve always tended to compare them to the venerable classic 1942 from Capcom. Sure that game didn’t have some of the niceties that modern shooters do, but it always provided solid game play and encouraged repeat performances by basically requiring you to memorize the enemy formations in order to master the game. Welcome to 2014 and the tenth anniversary release of Sky Force from infinite dreams. There was a reboot of 1942 launched in 2010, but as far as I’m concerned this is the true modern successor to that beloved game. 8 intense levels, plenty of upgrades and 3 difficulty levels make this a game you can play over and over again. Now all they need is the trademark “flip” button and Sky Force 2014 would be about perfect. Continue reading…

Some weeks the biggest problem with new releases is deciding what to play next. In addition to the games detailed below I spent some time with the lemmings style game Hamsterlings. Instead of assigning tasks to the hamsters you have to direct them to gadgets to pick up and use, and you also have to directly control each of them to an extent which adds a nice degree of challenge. Number Twelve – Count from 1 to 12 sounds like a kid’s game, but don’t let that scare you away. Never before has a basic numeric skill been so exciting. On the heels of Sky Force 2014 BulkyPix released the helicopter based shooter Heli Hell. While not quite as compelling as that other modern shooter classic, it still holds up really well compared to most of the recent offerings in that genre.Continue reading…

We were introduced to the nuns in 2012 with the RPG Nun Attack, which I sadly did not get the chance to play. The following year brought us Nun Attack: Run & Gun, a runner with potential that ultimately fell flat for me. Now we have Nun Attack Origins: Yuki’s Silent Quest, and unlike some origin stories introduced into established franchises, this one actually works. Silent Quest takes a puzzle like approach to the nun’s adventures, and it provides a decent amount of challenge with frustrating the player. It is lacking a bit in variety, but otherwise provides for a solid puzzle game experience. Continue reading…

The Overkill series from Craneballs has always been among my favorites as far as gallery style shooters go. I have to admit that I was a bit skeptical at first when I saw that they were taking the series to a truly 3D third person perspective. The more I watch the video, however, the more excited I get about seeing this game released. If you’re curious, and you should be, you can check out the video yourself here: Overkill 3 Teaser. I’ve also listed a few point of note about the game below. Continue reading…

There were a lot of fun releases this week. In addition to the games I detailed below I enjoyed Furballs, a new shooting gallery style game with an attitude. Instead of ducks you’ll be targeting annoying woodland creatures, and the dog will be sure to let you know when your performance wasn’t up to snuff. There have been a lot of “simulator” type games released lately, and I actually found one I liked in the form of Raptor Simulator : Dinosaur Extreme. With coins to collect and hearts to extend your time limit it feels more like a true game than others of its kind, though I still don’t get why humans fail to run away from these ferocious creatures. Tower defense fans should check out Overtime Rush – fantasy tower defense. I think it’s the first TD game where you’re trying to fend off hockey stick wielding monsters.Continue reading…

So I’m still working my way up to not being behind, but it doesn’t seem like developers are slowing down at all in terms of turning out new games. This week saw the release of rainblocks, a cool combination of matching and sliding puzzle genres. The game can get pretty intense as you fight the timer in later levels, and it actually makes the concept of sliding puzzle games kind of fun. Dragon June is an interesting take on the whole “flappy” craze (has it been going on too long to be a craze any more?) This game is viewed from an over the shoulder perspective, it has bosses and it features a blue dragon that likes to eat carrots. Pattap is a unique puzzle game that requires you to fold tiles until they are completely used up. The controls are a bit sensitive, but the fact that I’ve never played anything like this before means I’m willing to put up with that inconvenience.Continue reading…

It seems the more I try to catch up the further behind I get, but I will keep bringing you these roundups in as timely a fashion as I can. As usual I’ve tried to diversify the game genres as much as possible, but of course there are just some styles of game play I just naturally gravitate towards. My favorite game this week was Sky Force 2014, and if you haven’t already tried it but consider yourself a shmup fan just hang up your membership now and hang your head in shame. Without further ado, here are the games…Continue reading…

It probably seems like this roundup has been a long time in coming, and that’s because it has. Rather than give a long, boring explanation, let me just apologize and move on. This collection actually included a fair share of platform games including cartoon series based Marcus Level. Besides just being fun, I appreciated the fact that the game had built in replay value by making the five badges for each level unattainable in a single run through. Western 1849 tasks you with protecting a small town from bandits during the gold rush. There’s plenty of challenge involved and ample reward if you take out the bad guys before they get you. Sunset Racing Multiplayer provides a decent overhead racing experience with several cars to unlock and level up. The best part is that the game managed to entertain me even though I didn’t get to blow anything up.Continue reading…

The brick breaker genre has never been a particular favorite of mine, but just like with most other styles of game play, if a certain offering is well designed I can definitely be entertained. Such is the case with Blowfish Meets Meteor, which would have caught my attention with the name alone. Smart level design, power ups that serve a purpose rather than just being bombarded at you and a wacky atmosphere make this one of the best brick breakers I’ve played. The main down side is that some levels can be frustratingly challenging, even to the point where I couldn’t earn a single gem in the three gem rating scheme. Continue reading…

This week’s games had a lot of interesting features, but one trait that surfaced in a lot of the entries was good old fashioned pixel style graphics. Defend your Crypt brought this look to the “treasure defense” genre. Despite only having seven different types of traps to work with this game offers quite a bit of strategy and proves to be a frantic challenge even in the early levels. PixelGolf is what I would have imagined had Sierra Online made a miniature golf game in the late 80s. The level designs are lots of fun, and you can play up to 4 players on the same device or online. Super Surf Bros brings you pixel waves and fun in the sun. Play a gnarly campaign mode and work your way to number one in the big surfing contest or take on a real opponent for head to head wave action on the same device.Continue reading…